Editorial: Is Winston Northland locals' cup of tea?

Winston Peters has a strong chance of winning the Northland byelection

MMP. Means More Peters - perhaps.

Labour leader Andrew Little has admitted the Northland byelection looks to be a two-horse race between NZ First leader Winston Peters and National's Mark Osborne. He says Labour voters should "think carefully about how they exercise their vote" if they want to "send a message" to the National-led Government.

Labour's Northland candidate Willow-Jean Prime must be looking around frantically for the big "Force for the North" NZ First bus her leader's trying to throw her under. But there's no point being coy. What's best for Labour clearly isn't what's best for Willow-Jean Prime.

If Mr Peters wins Northland, taking what had been a safe National seat, it would throw the ruling party into disarray, facing an emboldened support partner in United Future and struggling for crucial votes in Parliament.

Mr Little's hint that voters can vote for Mr Peters is his version of the old Epsom cup of tea - whereby National leader John Key basically endorsed the Act Party's candidate in Epsom - at his candidate's expense - as a means to ensure Act is represented in Parliament and available to support National in Government.

Except this isn't Epsom. While National-leaning voters in the well-heeled Auckland electorate might be quite happy to be represented instead by an Act MP, are Northland's Labour-leaning voters ready for NZ First?

Because really those voters are the only thing stopping Labour pulling out of the race altogether.

While it may seem silly to campaign for a seat when you'd be better off supporting a rival, what message does it send the Labour faithful? That said, in Epsom and Northland the best play would be to lay your cards on the table. While voters may appreciate loyalty to their chosen party, surely they'd also appreciate some basic honesty.